Pac-12 Power Rankings

Now that we've gotten at least a glimpse of each team in the Pac-12, that means the triumphant return of the Register's Pac-12 Power Rankings.

Even through two weeks, the conference has had its fair share of surprises. Lane Kiffin and the Trojans are under fire after a loss to Washington State and a weak win over Hawaii. Oregon State lost to FCS power Eastern Washington. And Colorado has as many wins as those two teams combined.

There's no reason yet to question Oregon and Stanford's stranglehold at the top, but Washington, UCLA, and Arizona State are all trending upward with no ceiling yet in sight.

1. OREGON (2-0)

Just two numbers to leave you with, if you disagree with Oregon topping Stanford in the season's first set of power rankings: 125 and 13. The first number is how many points the Ducks have put up in two weeks against Nicholls State and Virginia. The second is how many its allowed. Marcus Mariota can do better in the passing game -- he's currently completing just 53 percent of his passes, compared to 68.5 percent last season -- but he's got plenty of time to figure that out. And hey, with De'Anthony Thomas averaging more than eight yards per carry, Oregon may not even need to pass.

2. STANFORD (1-0)

Kevin Hogan was his hyper-efficient self against decent competition in David Fales and San Jose State, but it was the Cardinal's running game that was particularly good in its first test of the season. Tyler Gaffney reached the century mark, while Anthony Wilkerson was a solid No. 2 back. If the passing game can keep the offense moving on third down, then Stanford should be just fine. After all, the defense is just as dominant as we expected. It racked up four sacks on Fales and Co.

3. WASHINGTON (1-0)

Washington boasts the most impressive win in the conference through two weeks after dominating Boise State in the first week of the season. The Huskies held the Broncos to just six points with a superior defensive effort, while Keith Price, Bishop Sankey and the offense was firing on all cylinders. If that sort of balanced effort is in place all season long, then Steve Sarkisian's team could definitely play spoiler at the top of the Pac-12.

4. UCLA (1-0)

UCLA's true challenge comes this week in Big Ten country with a matchup coming this Saturday against Nebraska. It's been a very tough bye week with the death of Nick Pasquale looming over the team, and this week's Big Ten-Pac-12 showdown tell us whether UCLA will use their teammate's tragic death as a rallying point for the rest of the season. Brett Hundley, Jordon James, and the rest of UCLA's offense looked outstanding against Nevada, and if it can remain as high-powered as it was in Week 1, then the Bruins should be able to score with the best of them in the conference.

5. ARIZONA STATE (1-0)

We don't know much about Arizona State yet, as the Sun Devils easily blew out FCS opponent Sacramento State in its only action of the season thus far. But the next two weeks will tell us all that we need to know. This week, Arizona State takes on Wisconsin at home in Tempe -- a game it should win -- and a week later, the Sun Devils face off with Stanford. Win in those two games, and Arizona State would prove that its going to be a force in the Pac-12 South season.

6. ARIZONA (2-0)

Ka'Deem Carey, last year's national rushing leader, made his debut in Arizona's matchup with UNLV last week and didn't disappoint, averaging over 10 yards per carry. Carey will be the bellcow of Arizona's offense going forward, and if the Wildcats can put together a decent pass game, then their offense should allow them to dictate the pace, just as Rich Rodriguez wants. Away matchups with Washington and USC will be the best tests of B.J. Denker under center and Arizona's up-and-coming defense.

7. UTAH (2-0)

Eeking out a close win over in-state rival Utah State was a huge stroke of luck for the Utes, who find themselves looking at a potential 4-0 start if they can take care of another in-state team (BYU) and a flailing Pac-12 foe (Oregon State). Former San Clemente High quarterback Travis Wilson lit up Weber State, giving some hope that he be an efficient passer this season. At running back, six backs have toted the rock, nearly equally. Clearly, there are still plenty of questions to answer.

8. WASHINGTON STATE (1-1)

It isn't often that a Mike Leach-coached team wins a game without scoring a single touchdown, but against a pitiful USC offense, the Cougars looked like a defensive powerhouse. Still, it isn't really a formula for success when Leach's high-flying passing attack, led by Connor Halliday, has accounted for five interceptions through two games. The Cougars will need to find at least a slight semblance of a run game, as well, if the offense has any chance of moving effectively. After shutting down USC's offense last week though, there's not much to complain about the Cougars' defense.

9. CAL (1-1)

Believe it or not, freshman quarterback Jared Goff is leading the nation in passing yards. And it's not close. Goff is averaging 465 yards per game over two games, as Sonny Dykes' air raid offense has proven to be successful, at least in terms of putting up video game numbers. It's still uncertain how best to use Brendan Bigelow at running back, and given his electric playmaking abilities, Cal will need to figure that out sooner rather than later. Dykes' offense can work with Cal's current personnel, but Goff will undoubtedly have growing pains this season. Plus, if the defense gives up 30 points to the likes of Portland State, what happens when an offense like Oregon comes to town?

10. COLORADO (2-0)

Thanks to back-to-back 200-yard receiving performances from Paul Richardson, the Colorado offense looks more exciting than it ever did last season, when the Buffs were one of the nation's worst teams. A win over Colorado State was certainly encouraging, but starting with Fresno State this week, Colorado's remaining matchups this season are much more difficult than its first two. The passing game looks much better with Texas transfer Connor Wood averaging over 370 yards per game, but the defense gave up 51 points to a combination of Colorado State and Central Arkansas. The Pac-12 slate will likely be cruel to Colorado.

11. OREGON STATE (1-1)

Now we get to the disappointments portion of this week's Power Rankings. Oregon State has already lost to an FCS program in Eastern Washington and barely beat Hawaii in its next matchup. That's no fault of quarterback Sean Mannion, who trails only Goff in passing yards so far this season, while completing almost 80 percent of his passes. The defense was better against Hawaii, but it was exposed against Eastern Washington, bringing up several concerns that the Beavers clearly weren't ready for. Things will likely get better for Oregon State, but it certainly doesn't look like any more than a middling team in the Pac-12 North.

12. USC (1-1)

Coach Lane Kiffin may already have one foot out the door. The Trojans have no quarterback, even if Cody Kessler was named to the position (over YouTube) yesterday. The defense is solid, as expected, but beyond that, there's not much for USC to hang its hat on through two games. Losing to Washington State was no less than an embarrassment, and although Kiffin and Co. should bounce back with a few victories in a row, the questions that have been raised are very much legitimate. USC hasn't earned anything more than the Pac-12's bottom spot at this point, given the disarray the program seems to be in.

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